This post is Day 16 in a series of studies about “Habakkuk”. I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

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Habakkuk – Day 16

Only God knows the hearts of men and how they are living their lives on earth. But we must remember that He does see, really see, what is happening on the earth. And much of what is happening on earth today is sadly a repeat of these Old Testament curses.

Habakkuk 2:9

Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, setting his nest on high to escape the clutches of ruin!

The Thought

This is the second of five “woes” described in this chapter. The first was in verse 6 (see day 14). The “woes” could be taken as curses, pronounced by God over the evil going on among the Israelites towards the end of the 7th century BC.

Sadly, this “woe” could be describing many people today. Only God really knows the hearts of men and how they are living their lives on earth. But we must remember that He does see, really see, what is happening on the earth. And much of what is happening on earth today is sadly a repeat of these Old Testament curses. The devil doesn’t give up on trying to take man down to hell with him. He remembers the cross and that he is a beaten foe. But he is determined to stop as many people as he can from getting into heaven and receiving everlasting heavenly life. The “enemy of our souls” tries to tempt us in the same way he tried to tempt Eve. Sadly he succeeded with her and is still succeeding with many in our world today.

On Day 5 of this study we briefly mentioned the story of Hagar who was the mother of Abraham’s first child Ishmael. She was the first to declare that God was the one who sees (Genesis 16:13). The translation of the Hebrew name used there, “El Roi” suggests that God never sleeps, He is constantly aware of everything that is happening everywhere, because He is omnipresent. It is good for all of us to remember that sometimes.

Action

Pray today for each person in government in your area, that they would remember “El Roi”, the God who sees everything. Pray that they will not use their positions to make “unjust gain” but will work for the good of the people they represent.